Did Robbie come from a breeder, rescue, or shelter?
I found Robbie through the Missouri Puppies for Parole Program. He was originally kept at the Dogwood Animal Shelter in Osage Beach, MO but was transferred to a corrections facility in Jefferson City, MO where he was trained by a pair of offenders for about two months. He began the program with a few bad habits such as chewing furniture, pulling on hte leash, and jumping on people. When he graduated & came home with us, his bad habits were gone and he knew the commands: to sit, lay down, heel, stay, and come, as well as how to walk quietly on leash.
Are you a professional dog trainer?
Yes! My business, Disabled Advantage helps people learn how to owner-train a mobility service dog form start to finish, as well as gives pet owners the peace of mind that comes with having a well-behaved dog in any situation.
Aren't service dogs required to be trained by a professional and then registered?
According to the ADA service dog laws, a service dog does not have to be trained by a professional. While owner-training is difficult, and not always as successful as program training, it is perfectly legal. Additionally, U.S. Federal law does not require service dogs to be "registered" or "certified." Websites that offer to do so are often scams. In other countries, however, you have to go through a program or organization and the dog is certified by them.
What makes you qualified to train a service Dog/How did you learn to do it?
I trained problem horses for about 8 years prior to being disabled by CRPS. In that time, I learned a lot about horse training principles that can easily be applied to dog training. I also learned about working with an animal as a team, earning mutual respect & trust, and how to problem solve my way through any training problems that may arise. Once I decided to train my own service dog, I then did lots of research into service dog standards, general dog training advice, and training books intended for people with disabilities since we often have to get creative in teaching certain things. I also made contacts with current service dog handlers and trainers, asking any questions that I could think of, both before adopting Robbie & after.
Did you have help training him?
Yes. My fiance & I worked together to train Robbie with the help of a professional dog trainer in our area. Since there may be days when it hurts to hold the leash or I need help taking care of Robbie, my fiance needed to be a second handler, and thus part of the whole service dog team. The trainer did Robbie's first evaluation to verify that he was the right dog for us, and then over the course of 8 months he taught us how to train Robbie advanced obedience, problem solve, and how to go about teaching tasks. He was an excellent guide, and taught me a lot about dog training. Additionally, as explained in the previous question, I sought advice from other service dog handlers, which I have found extremely helpful whenever I encounter a problem during training. It helps to have friends to bounce ideas off of and collaborate on various training aspects.
Isn't it hard training a dog while Living with CRPS?
Oh yes. It is very hard! My pain is full body - jaw to toes - and there are some days when getting out of bed is the hardest part of my day. In the beginning, when Robbie & I were building our bond and he was still learning advanced obedience, there were countless days when he would accidentally cause a flare up or where I would want to give up completely because it hurt so much. I am glad I stuck with it though, because now he is invaluable to me. Daily life is still a struggle and likely always will be, but Robbie helps prevent more flares than creates them these days, and I am able to do more because of him.
What exactly does he do to help a condition like CRPS?
The main purpose is to perform tasks/jobs that will prevent extra pain flares that I am prone to by doing basic activities such as carrying objects, doing laundry, doing repetitive motions, helping me get out of the shower, opening doors and more. He also provides counter-balance assistance when we go for walks.
What is his most important task?
Bracing. There are multiple situations in which Robbie provides a brace. Those include: getting up off the floor when just sitting, preventing falls, getting me upright & taken to a safe place following a fall, helping me get out of the shower safely, helping me dismount from a therapy horse, rising from a chair/couch/bed, and helping me get to a higher or lower position (such as climbing in & out of a truck bed). More instances of bracing may arise as my condition progresses. For instance, when we first taught the brace, we never considered it being used for shower assistance, let alone dismounting from a horse.
I've heard owner-training isn't always successful. What has made this team succeed?
Lots of determination, courage, patience, and honestly, having CRPS. My CRPS is so severe that I am unable to work or drive. As a result, I spend almost every day at home with more free time than could be filled prior to adopting Robbie. We are successful because we work hard together every single day. I keep extremely meticulous training logs, and while we do 2-3 formal training sessions every day - as well as play and exercise sessions - I also subscribe to the training theory that "everything is training." Robbie always has the opportunity to learn, even if it isn't in a formal session. Check out our "training" section for more information on "everything is training." Robbie & I spend so much time together that I can read him really well, and he is learning to read my pain levels more. I devote my entire life to working with Robbie, striving to be a better dog trainer, and focusing on ways to live despite the horrible pain. CRPS makes training extremely difficult, but has given me the gift of time that many never seem to find. A lot of owner-trainers have additional responsibilities, such as work and children, which makes it really hard to find the time to train a service dog. Service dogs need a higher caliber of training than your average pet, and that can be difficult to achieve and maintain.
Does robbie work all the time? if "everything is training" does he get burned out?
"Everthing is Training" means that there is always an opportunity to learn, not that he is always being drilled or always working. Robbie gets about 2-3 off days each week where we play games, go for really long walks, and just relax together. Plus, while some service dogs go out in public frequently, we live in the country and public access days are maybe only 1-2 a week. Some weeks we don't go into town at all. We listen to Robbie and he tells me when he needs a break. Likewise, there are often days when I am in too much pain or don't have the energy to do much with him. On those days we snuggle in bed together. We have a nice big yard where he can stretch out his Malinois legs and race around us, two farms we routinely visit and take a romp through the fields, Robbie has two dog friends he plays with, a barn cat he is always happy to see, and is spoiled in our own way. He loves elk antlers, peanut butter kongs, beef broth or pineapple juice ice cubes in the summer, and is learning how to play fetch.
What is your favorite & least favorite aspect of working with a service dog?
Favorite - The light bulb moments. I absolutely love teaching Robbie new things and seeing his reaction when he *gets* it. When he figures something out, like the first time he opened a door by pushing the handicap button, he looked at us then the door and back at us with his tail wagging furiously. You could just see pride & excitement all over his face.
Least Favorite - The attention. So many people want to know our entire story, tell us how much Robbie looks like their "fur baby," demand to know why I need a service dog because my condition is invisible, or worse - they just point and stare at us. On my good days I will answer short questions, or interact with someone who is genuinely curious, not just nosy. On my bad days, I try to avoid talking to people or say that I don't feel well and need to focus on my service dog. I hate being stared at like a freak, but try to focus on how awesome of team we are instead. There are days where I can't handle it all though, and end up in tears when we get home or the attention triggers a mild anxiety attack. I try really hard never to snap at people, because I do want to advocate about CRPS & service dogs and give a positive image of my team, especially since many stores started recognizing us because we go there frequently. It's really hard for me to keep my cool sometimes, because the pain puts me on edge anyways and even worse when I'm in the middle of a bad flare up.
Least Favorite - The attention. So many people want to know our entire story, tell us how much Robbie looks like their "fur baby," demand to know why I need a service dog because my condition is invisible, or worse - they just point and stare at us. On my good days I will answer short questions, or interact with someone who is genuinely curious, not just nosy. On my bad days, I try to avoid talking to people or say that I don't feel well and need to focus on my service dog. I hate being stared at like a freak, but try to focus on how awesome of team we are instead. There are days where I can't handle it all though, and end up in tears when we get home or the attention triggers a mild anxiety attack. I try really hard never to snap at people, because I do want to advocate about CRPS & service dogs and give a positive image of my team, especially since many stores started recognizing us because we go there frequently. It's really hard for me to keep my cool sometimes, because the pain puts me on edge anyways and even worse when I'm in the middle of a bad flare up.
Where Did Austin Come From?
Austin, like Robbie, was adopted by me from a shelter. He also participated in and graduated from a local puppies for parole program. We selected him based on general build, temperament, and questions we'd asked about him.
When Will Austin Be a Service Dog for You?
Not for a while! Right now, Austin is learning how to not pull on the leash, how to walk calmly past traffic and other distractions, how to wait at doorways, how to be bored without getting destructive or demanding attention (vital for service dogs), and we're working diligently on building a strong bond between him and myself, as well as socialization to his new world and desensitization to gear. After about 2 months, we will start teaching him obedience commands, more challenging socialization experiences, and early service dog skills. We might begin select task training, like how to retrieve and possibly deep cold, but it depends on how his manners and impulse control are coming along. He needs to be able to understand that he only gets on my lap when invited, for instance, whereas right now, we don't have a foundation in place for him to understand that difference. Same with what he can or can't retrieve, and how to hold various objects. The learning has already begun, though. There is no "not important or not relevant" learning that happens with a potential service dog. Already, he is learning how to hold objects during retrieve simply by default of us not letting him play fetch with toys that make noise. Noisy toys encourage a dog to bite down, which we don't want him to learn until he reliably soft holds - maybe never, depending on how retrieve develops for him.